Writing With a Broken Tusk
Writing With a Broken Tusk began in 2006 as a blog about overlapping geographies, personal and real-world, and writing books for children. Since March 2024, Jen Breach (writer, VCFA graduate, and former student) has helped me curate and manage guest posts and Process Talk pieces on this blog.
The blog name refers to the mythical pact between the poet Vyaasa and the Hindu elephant headed god Ganesha who was his scribe during the composition of the epic narrative, the Mahabharata. It also refers to my second published book, edited by the generous and brilliant Diantha Thorpe of Linnet Books/The Shoe String Press, published in 1996, acquired and republished by August House, now part of Reading Is Fundamental, and still miraculously in print.
Posts on this site reflect personal opinion and commentary protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
Process Talk: Daniel Nayeri on This is a Door
I wrote about This is a Door (I read it in e-galley form) back in July when doors of all kinds were on my mind. Here’s part of what I said back then:
I’d really enjoyed Nayeri’s autobiographical Everything Sad is Untrue and lost myself in the combination of fabled setting and ripping good storytelling in The Many Assassinations of Samir, Seller of Dreams. This one’s as dazzling in its own way.
After writing that post, and reading Nayeri’s PW interview I invited Daniel Nayeri to trade an email or three with me about the book. I’m delighted to share the resulting conversation.